Average room rates for luxury hotels in many shopping havens around the world have dropped significantly, according to the recent Hotels.com® Hotel Price IndexTM (HPI®), boding good news for Singaporeans who rank shopping at the top of the list when they travel.

Among cities popular with travellers who love to shop, Shanghai noted the largest price fall, with room rates dropping 25 per cent in the first half (January to June) of this year comparing to the same period last year, followed by New York and Tokyo with drops of 15 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. Shanghai and Tokyo are also on the list of top ten overseas destinations for Singaporean travellers, as reported in the HPI. This emphasises the fact that there is no better time for Singaporeans to travel to these destinations and get more value for their dollar.

Zoe Chan, Senior PR Manager of Hotels.com Asia Pacific notes, “The combination of lower average hotel room rates and favourable exchange rates makes now a good time for Singaporeans to travel, in addition to the current appreciation of the Singapore dollar against most currencies. These price falls allow travellers to spend more on their most-coveted fashion labels while at the same time enjoy hefty savings on luxury accommodation, giving themselves a holiday to remember.”

Singaporean travellers looking for a luxurious getaway can also consider other popular destinations such as Paris, Rome or Madrid, which have all reflected drops in hotel prices of 13%, 11% and 7% respectively. Scouring the globe for your favourite fashion labels, vintage finds, factory outlet buys or exotic handicrafts and furniture has never been more enticing.